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Groton panel seeks to find source of lake's contaminants

By Pierre Comtois, Correspondent

Updated:
03/07/2013 12:14:04 AM EST

GROTON -- The Lost Lake Sewer Commission met Wednesday to begin identifying questions before any recommendations can be made to selectmen on possible solutions to the danger posed to Lost Lake by contaminants.

"Where they go to is the critical point," said commissioner Jay Prager of how contaminants find their way into the lake.

Of concern also was better protection of drinking water from public and private wells.

Focusing on septic systems used by the hundreds of property owners around the lake (which also includes Knops Pond), members seemed to agree that they posed the most danger rather than nitrates that some in the neighborhood suggested travel to the lake from streams farther away.

That suggestion was raised at fall's Town Meeting, when the issue of creating a sewer district for Lost Lake was considered and rejected.

At the time, reasons for the rejection was twofold: the $12.9 million cost of the project and lack of information confirming the source of contamination in the lakes.

The defeat spurred selectmen to appoint a new commission to revisit the project and address the concerns raised by residents that alternatives to the causes of lake pollution had not been fully explored.

The new commission met for the first time Jan. 31 to restart the sewer project, beginning with identifying the reasons why a wastewater system was needed, setting objectives and coming up with recommendations.

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The identification process continued Wednesday, when members listed questions they felt needed answers before they could move on crafting solutions to the problem, including whether technology existed that could adequately measure the existence of contamination, if any.

Other issues that need to be addressed included inventorying the different types of wells in the Lost Lake area, finding out the number of newer wells sunk and what kind they are, finding out the life span of an active well, where the wells get water, can the water in wells be immune from private waste runoff, and how can a diagnosis be conducted analyzing the relationship between a well and nearby septic system.

"You have to know the baseline before you can do anything," said Prager. "But we may have a lot of good data already floating around."

"I'd like an understanding of how all this stuff works," Prager said.

Commissioners agreed to invite a number of better informed people to meet with them to discuss all the issues raised including a hydrogeologist as well as the town's health agent Ira Grossman, and Littleton Water and Light General Manager Savas Danos.

Commission Chairman Jack Petropoulos listed a number of potential solutions to the problem. In addition to bringing wastewater service to the Lost Lake neighborhoods, other solutions could include better filtration systems for septic systems, connection with public water or digging deeper wells.

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